


i swore i’d never fall again; but this doesn't even feel like falling

by simplyverstappen



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting Together, Healing, I really don't know how to tag this sksksk, M/M, Seb is a good friend, a bit of angst, future mercedes bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25200178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplyverstappen/pseuds/simplyverstappen
Summary: When he looks up he sees George smiling at him from the other end of the garage and Lewis feels his stomach flutter, instinctively smiling back.God, he’s so gorgeous. And he really should know better.
Relationships: George Russell/Lewis Hamilton
Comments: 24
Kudos: 141





	i swore i’d never fall again; but this doesn't even feel like falling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greeny1710](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeny1710/gifts).



> look friends, Kai (greeny1710/3303andmore) and I created this ship three days ago and since then I can't stop thinking about it skdjskdjs
> 
> it's the rare pair you never knew you needed in your life and ngl I'd die for them :') also George to Mercedes 2021 please and thank you 
> 
> I am super curious to see what you think! I'm a bit insecure but it was a lot of fun writing and I hope you'll like it as much as we do 💛
> 
> 💛💛💛

Look. Lewis has actually sworn to himself to never make the same mistake twice. He is an adult, he can learn from shit that happened in the past, he can grow from it - and ‘falling for your teammate/rival/childhood best friend’ definitely counts to that. 

And he had done well, really well, keeping his relationship to Valtteri distant but friendly while somehow working together to get the best result for the team. And it had worked, more or less. 

Valtteri was straight, Lewis still heartbroken anyway, they made a good team. 

But it all changed when Toto told him they’d sign George Russell for the 2021 season and Valtteri would be leaving. While Lewis did feel a bit sad for Valtteri, he hadn’t really minded at first - he likes George, likes talking to the kid and he definitely proved himself enough in this mess of a season in that Williams car. 

There was just the tiny inconvenience that every time George smiled at him in the paddock Lewis heart did a weird little skip. And Lewis really didn’t know what to make of it. 

It got worse when the preparations for the new season started, George and him spending more and more time together and Lewis noticed with growing concern that every time they accidentally touch his belly flutters. 

That he can’t stop smiling when he’s in the same room as George, can’t stop looking at him with a fond expression in his eyes and- look. Lewis might be a fool but he’s not stupid.

He knows what this means. And he can’t particularly say he likes it. 

“So you have a crush on George Russell?”, Seb asks him slowly while taking a sip from his wine and Lewis shrugs half-heartedly, staring at the Australian sunset in front of them. 

The season starts in a few days, testing has gone really well and while Lewis is very committed to breaking Michael’s record this season he’s also a little distracted at the moment. 

“You do know you’re thirteen years older than him?” 

It’s a rhetorical question, Lewis knows Seb doesn’t want an answer to that - they both know how old George is. 

“Yep.” Lewis pops the ‘p’, staring at the ocean in front of them and takes a deep breath. “Look, I know it’s stupid, alright? I know he deserves so much better than me and I know it’s hopeless. Especially after-“

He stops himself, shaking his head annoyedly and taking a sip from his wine, Seb waiting patiently for him to continue, not pushing him. A quality Lewis has always appreciated in his friend. 

“My point is, I didn’t do it on purpose, it just happened and...Seb, I really love him.” His last words get nearly drowned out by the sound of the waves crashing against the beach, his voice getting quieter and he plays with Roscoe’s ears, his dog happily snoring on his lap. 

“You know I think you’re wrong”, Seb starts after a while, giving him a soft smile when he sees his confused look. “I don’t think he deserves anything better - you _are_ great Lewis.” 

“Yeah, but I can’t just have a crush on my thirteen years younger teammate.” Lewis groans, massaging his temples. “I-“

“He’s 23 Lewis, he’s of legal age”, Seb reminds him gently. “And while it might be unusual in a different setting I think our world has its own rules.” 

Lewis swallows, taking another sip of his wine while staring at the ocean. It’s still warm even though the sun is slowly setting and Seb gives him a long look. 

“What are your intentions with him?” 

“Only the best!” Lewis stares at him, shaking his head. “Seb, I- he deserves the world. I would never abuse my status or some bullshit team hierarchy, we are equal- I want him to be happy-“ 

He stops, taking a deep breath and Seb smiles. 

“See? As long as you two communicate that openly I doubt anyone has a problem with that. Dan and Max are also a thing.” 

“But Dan and Max are just eight years apart”, Lewis grumbles, chewing on his bottom lip. “And- they just _work_?! You wouldn’t notice the age difference-“

“You say that now until you walk into the McLaren garage and find Lando and Daniel recreating ‘Does Your Mother Know’ from Mamma Mia while Max tries to get them to listen to their race engineers”, Seb interrupts him dryly, grinning when he sees Lewis’ incredulous look. “Don’t ask, I actually just wanted to ask Max something and you know he moved into the McLaren garage since this season.” 

Lewis can’t hold back a grin, swirling the wine in his glass and Seb’s eyes turn serious again. 

“My point is, Lewis, that age sometimes doesn’t have to say much. Of course, you have to make sure you’re not taking advantage of them, of course, they obviously should be of legal age - and there is definitely a ‘too old’.” 

Seb grimaces and Lewis knows they’re both thinking about Bernie right now. 

“But you are both adults, Lewis, both Formula One drivers with roughly the same schedule. And what does George do in his free time, play video games with the other kids and stream on Twitch? You also play this war game.” 

“Call of Duty: Warzone”, Lewis mumbles, his lips twitching and Seb waves dismissively. “Not my point, I’m still confused about why Charles dressed up as a banana last year.” 

Lewis laughs at that before he raises his glass, clinking it together with Seb. 

“Thank you”, he says honestly and Seb smiles. “Always, Lewis. That’s what friends are there for, right?” 

Lewis nods, taking another sip from his glass and not for the first time he’s thanking God that Seb hasn’t left the sport - Lewis is pretty sure he’d have gone insane without his friend by his side. 

“So you think I should do something about it?”, he asks when the sun is nearly gone and Seb shrugs. “That depends. Do you think he’s interested in you?” 

“I-“ Lewis stops, his mind wandering back to all the occasions George and he accidentally touched. To the small smiles, George always gives him, how he blushes when Lewis praises him in a meeting. To hugs that have lingered a bit too long and to every laugh, every conversation they had. 

“Yes”, he says with a hoarse voice and he clears his throat. “But how do I know it’s not just some hero-worshipping from his side?” 

“Give it two or three races”, Seb advises him, a small smile on his face. “Give it a bit of time. You know how on track- yeah.” He stops himself but Lewis knows what he means. Or rather, whom. 

Nico. 

Funnily enough, his heart doesn’t hurt that much anymore when he thinks about him and he smiles, feeling oddly at peace, grounded even. It might be because a set of ocean blue eyes with specks of green in them is slowly replacing ice-blue ones and Seb smiles. 

“It’s going to be fine, Lew.” 

# 

George and he work well together. Like, _really well_. George seems to know that Lewis is Mercedes’ Number One driver and while he is competitive enough to fight every other driver on the track he accepts that Lewis is out here to break another record and George does his best in supporting him with that. 

And they do get on the podium together quite often - which is definitely not something Lewis would complain about. 

It’s _easy_ to work with George and while Lewis knows how fragile relationships can be in Formula One, especially with your teammate (he’s the prime example for how the sport and competitiveness can destroy a lifelong friendship - his feelings put aside for a moment) he doesn’t want to think about potential consequences. 

George and he get along well, it’s an easy-going, fun dynamic and Lewis catches himself falling for him harder and harder every day. 

George is smart, witty, an actual pain in the arse sometimes (in the best way possible) and while he can be incredibly sassy, he’s also so fucking beautiful. 

Lewis can’t stop thinking about his eyes and while he still feels guilty, still feels bad about having a crush on his younger teammate (he should be a good influence, someone he can look up to and learn from- but one does not cancel out the other, a tiny voice inside his head whispers and Lewis really hates his mind sometimes) it gets better with every passing day. 

It helps that he has Seb on his side, his best friend always calmly listening to his rambling and helping him to sort out his thoughts. 

Lewis is pretty sure at this point that what is between George and him isn’t just friendship. He’s also pretty sure that George is not hero-worshipping him - he’s not the type for that. 

The sexual tension between them grows with every passing day and when Lewis leaves a team meeting one day, running into George who apparently seemed to have forgotten something in the room- when Lewis automatically steadies him, them staring at each other- Lewis feeling the heat creep up in his cheeks, his hands burning where he touches George’s arms, _of course_ he only has to wear a T-Shirt-

“See you tomorrow then”, Toto says, his voice snapping them out of their own little bubble and George blushes, quickly taking a step back. Lewis pulls his hands back as if he’d burned himself, forcing himself to smile at his teammate before he leaves and when he turns around one more time he sees that George is staring after him. 

The tension grows with every race, every touch, every look and Lewis can’t stop thinking about him. He manages to push his feelings aside during the race, manages to not let it influence his driving because at the end of the day he’s still a professional but he feels giddy when he comes back to the garage, excited because he knows he’ll see George again. 

Excited because they’ll smile at each other, maybe have a chat and go for lunch, talk about strategies and maybe Lewis can make him laugh again. 

He’s excited, genuinely _happy_ and it’s a feeling he didn’t have since 2014. 

He tries pushing the melancholy back down, deleting the notification on his phone that tells him that Nico Rosberg uploaded a new video on YouTube and he locks his phone.

When he looks up he sees George smiling at him from the other end of the garage and Lewis feels his stomach fluttering, instinctively smiling back. 

God, he’s so gorgeous. And he really should know better. Knows this is wrong, he shouldn’t- 

But then George smiles at him again and it feels like the sun is warming him, every worry disappearing in mere seconds and Lewis feels light, all his past experiences blurry and too far away.

They go to a sponsoring event for Petronas in Malaysia and it’s when they have some free time in one of the small rainforests in the heart of Kuala Lumpur that they’re alone for the first time in weeks. 

“How are you doing?”, Lewis asks him while they’re strolling past the tall trees, the air humid and George shrugs. “Okay, I guess. It’s still such a difference to Williams but I like it.” 

He smiles at him and Lewis nods, feeling his heart soften. He has to look up a little to George but he doesn’t mind - he likes the height difference. 

“Well you definitely earned your spot”, he comments and George blushes. “You think so?” 

It’s unusual to see him so insecure - George is normally incredibly self-confident and Lewis realises he likes seeing that side of him. That vulnerability and he stops, his gaze turning soft. 

“Yeah. You belong here.” 

_’By my side.’_

He doesn’t say the last part but George’s smile widens and he bites his lip, hesitantly taking a step closer. 

“Good because I want to stay”, he whispers, the tension between them so thick one could cut it with a knife. Lewis nearly doesn’t dare to breathe, not able to tear his gaze away from those beautiful blue-green eyes. 

“Then stay.” His voice is hoarse, they both know they’re not talking about racing anymore and George takes a deep breath. 

“I- Lewis-“ He seems to search for the right words before he takes his hand, an insecure expression in his eyes. “Can I kiss you?” 

His voice is barely more than a whisper and Lewis blinks, staring at him. Did he really just _ask_ him- how is he so _polite_ \- 

“Like I hope this didn’t come off the wrong way, mate and like I don’t want to jeopardise our team dynamics but I really like you and-“ 

Lewis leans forward, putting his arms behind George’s neck, his heart beating so fast he’s sure his teammate must hear it and he gently presses their lips together, effectively shutting him up. 

George pulls him closer, a breathless sound escaping his lips and Lewis deepens the kiss. George’s lips are soft and warm, tasting a bit like the strawberries they had before and Lewis can’t believe they’re actually doing this. 

There are butterflies in his stomach, he feels so alive, adrenaline rushing through his veins and everything is prickling. George is _perfect_ and Lewis smiles into the kiss, not able to hold back his smile any longer. 

He feels like after a tough race, a Monaco win, like he just won his next championship and his hand goes through George’s hair, effectively destroying it. George doesn’t seem to mind, his eyes shining and he’s still blushing a little. 

Lewis’ thumb traces over George’s cheekbone, his heart beating fast in his chest and he feels like a teenager again. Kissing George is so _easy_ , feels so _right_ and _perfect_ and for the first time in years, the knot in his stomach seems to ease. 

“You- holy cow”, George whispers and Lewis smiles, pulling him into a strong hug. 

“I don’t want to take advantage of you”, he mumbles but from the corner of his eyes, he can see George shake his head. “You don’t, I’m 23-“ 

“Thirteen years younger”, Lewis reminds him gently but George shrugs. “I know what I want.” 

He kisses him again, a bit more passionately this time and Lewis holds back a smirk, tightening his grip in George’s hair. 

Their tongues fight for dominance, a fight Lewis wins pretty quickly and he makes mental notes of all the little things he notices, of how George reacts to his actions. 

“I just want you to be happy”, he says quietly when they break apart again and George bites his lip, taking his hand. “You make me happy. Very happy. I was just never sure-“ 

He shakes his head and Lewis gives him a reassuring smile - he has a feeling he knows where George is coming from but they can have the Nico-conversation another time. Today it’s about them and their future, not about the past. 

They spend the rest of the day walking through the small rainforest, holding hands and stealing kisses when no one is looking and when Lewis texts Seb that night, he feels lighter than he has in years.

He hasn’t thought about Nico all day and maybe it really is time to move on - time to forget the past. Whatever happened between them happened and he can’t change it but there’s no use in dwelling over it. 

He’s still scared of getting his heart broken again, of being a distraction for George but he trusts him. He laid his heart and soul bare to him and he trusts him more than anyone and if the way George looked at him today is anything to go by then they absolutely have a future. 

It’s going to be okay and maybe it’s time he stops being afraid.

# 

“Does Nico know?”, Seb asks while they’re sitting on Lewis’ balcony in Monaco, a glass of wine in their hands again and Lewis shrugs. “I don’t know and to be honest I don’t care.”

That’s only partly true. He wants Nico to care, wants him to know but his relationship with George has nothing to do with Nico. George and he are happy, they have their own life and Seb smiles, leaning back in his chair. 

“I’m sure he knows”, he comments lightly. “And I’m sure he’d be happy for you. He’d want that.” 

He puts his hand on Lewis’ arm, a compassionate expression in his eyes and Lewis sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“I just- it got easier with George”, he says quietly. “He makes me so happy, this boy- you have no idea.” He smiles involuntarily, his heart beating faster like always when he thinks about George and Seb smiles. “Good. As it should be.” 

Lewis nods, playing with the leather bracelet George got him a few weeks ago and he runs a hand through his hair. 

“I don’t date him to distract myself from Nico”, he says to no one in particular and Seb nods. “I know. Have you talked with him about it?” 

“Not yet, we’re just...really happy.” Lewis smiles when he thinks back to their holiday in Ibiza - they spent the summer break together on the island and he really enjoyed having George all to himself for a few days. 

“It’s going to be fine.” Seb smiles and Lewis nods, taking a deep breath. The last sun rays are warm on his skin, the ocean air filling his lungs, Roscoe sleeping next to his feet and he takes a sip from his wine, savouring the taste for a second before he swallows. 

He’s slowly healing and he’s so incredibly lucky that he got George by his side. 

# 

“So...”, George starts, cuddling closer and Lewis smiles, his hand tracing patterns on George’s naked chest. “Hm?” 

“What really happened between you and Nico Rosberg?” 

Lewis stills and he actually wants to mock him for his choice of after sex talk topics but then he looks at George and he can’t bring himself to make a snappy comment. George looks at him with a mix of curiosity and insecurity and Lewis swallows, pulling him closer. 

He deserves an explanation. And they really need to have this conversation. 

“We’ve been friends - good friends”, he starts slowly, his hand absentmindedly brushing a few sweaty strands from George’s forehead. “Childhood friends.” 

It’s not really a secret, everyone knows that but George stays quiet, letting him talk and Lewis shrugs half-heartedly. 

“I fell in love with him.” 

George freezes but still doesn’t say anything and Lewis sighs. 

“It wasn’t mutual. And I’m sure you know how our friendship soured in our time as teammates.” It still hurts from time to time - Nico was his best friend. The one he could always confide in and knowing he lost that - it hurts. 

“I’m over it”, he adds and he can feel George slightly relax next to him. “I am. I just swore myself to never fall again after that but...here we are. And it doesn’t even feel like falling.” He gives George a soft look and George smiles. 

“I’m sorry things went bad with Nico”, he says sincerely but Lewis shrugs. “We haven’t talked since, I think, 2018? It’s alright.” 

“Still.” George traces one of Lewis’ tattoos with his right hand, smiling when he sees the goosebumps forming on his skin. “Like I’m glad it didn’t work out obviously but...it always hurts to lose a friend.” 

“It does.” Lewis forces himself to smile, pressing a soft kiss on his hair and his hand resting on George’s hip. “But as I said, I’m over it - and I’ve got you. You’re all I need and everything that happened lead me to this moment so I think it worked out quite alright.” 

The smile he gives him this time is a real one and George’s eyes are bright, happiness radiating from him. 

“I love you, Lew”, he mumbles and Lewis feels his stomach fluttering at that, not able to stop smiling. “I love you too, angel.” 

# 

George wins his first race in Singapore after getting pole in Qualifying and Lewis is so fucking proud of him. The second he parked behind him at the spot for P3 in the parc fermé he’s hugging him tightly, stopping himself just in time from kissing him right here. 

George’s eyes are shining, he's laughing and screaming when he sprays the champagne at Lewis and Max and Lewis can’t stop smiling. He’s not even mad that he didn’t manage to overtake Max in the end - today is about George. 

George who drove an insanely good race and when they’re back in the garages later Lewis wraps his arms around him, pulling him into a deep kiss. All of the mechanics know by now anyway and George melts into the kiss, still sticky from champagne and sweat. 

“I’m so proud of you”, Lewis whispers when he pulls back, his thumb tracing over George’s lips and George blushes, blue-green eyes shining. “I love you so much.” 

“God, I love you too.” Lewis kisses him again, his heart soaring and when their lips touch and he tastes the champagne, him falling again he realises he’s not afraid anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow me on tumblr @ [verstappened](https://verstappened.tumblr.com/)  
> to yell with me some more about this beautiful new pairing kskdjksd 
> 
> Kudos and comments are very appreciated thanksss 💛


End file.
